Youth and international development policy: the case for investing in young people

The world now has the largest generation aged 15 to 24 in history, and almost 90% of these young women and men live in developing countries. High fertility rates in the developing world mean that their share of the global population is likely to increase over the next 20 years - and many developing countries are already experiencing a ‘youth bulge’.

Young people need support to become catalysts for poverty reduction, good governance and economic growth and to ensure that their voices are heard. This Project Briefing details specific ways in which investment in youth can be put to work to achieve the greatest benefits in terms of economic, social and human rights.